What K S Engineers does

K S Engineers (legal entity: Kristl, Seibt & Co. Gesellschaft m.b.H.) is a privately held Austrian engineering firm founded in 1972, headquartered in Graz, and operating across automotive testing, energy/infrastructure, industrial automation, and building services engineering. The company employs more than 650 people and generates annual revenues exceeding €150 million, serving automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers (Audi, BMW, Bosch, Akkodis, BMTS Technology, Deutz, Caterpillar, Bajaj Auto), defense customers (Austrian Armed Forces), research institutions, and the energy sector. Operations span Austria, Germany, Switzerland, India, and the United States through wholly owned subsidiaries.

The company's commercial offering is built around a turnkey platform architecture centered on the proprietary KS-R2R (Road-to-Rig) testing technology family combined with the Tornado Software Suite — an in-house automation platform exceeding five million lines of source code developed over more than 25 years. Core hardware products include the KS-AMPS modular power system (SiC-MOSFET-based, 1700V/1200V variants), KS-BATTSIM battery simulators, KS-ACDC Box high-precision measurement systems, the patented KS-LEC OilTracer (deuterium-based online oil consumption measurement), and a broad portfolio of vehicle, powertrain, engine, fuel cell, electric motor, transmission, and component test beds. Supporting modules (KS-DPC pressure control, KS-OMM operating mode manager, KS-FSS functional safety system, T-SIM Simulink integration) extend platform capabilities. Energy solutions include KS-H2GEN PEM electrolyzers and media supply/conditioning systems.

K S Engineers monetizes through project-based hardware sales of testing systems, software licensing (Tornado), in-house testing services at company-owned facilities in Graz and Friedrichshafen with 20+ test benches, and recurring maintenance services. Pricing is custom and project-based with multi-year contract cadences; no public pricing exists. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting OEMs with complex, consultative selling cycles. The company is 100% privately owned, holds multiple ISO certifications (9001, 14001, 45001, 3834-2, 1090-2, and EN ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accredited testing laboratory status for UN GTR 21 power measurement), and maintains VDA ISA TISAX AL3 + Prototype Protection for automotive confidentiality.

Name

K S Engineers

Legal name

Kristl, Seibt & Co. Gesellschaft m.b.H.

Website

https://ksengineers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

K S Engineers is a privately held Austrian engineering firm (founded 1972, headquartered in Graz) that designs and builds turnkey testing systems for automotive, energy, and industrial customers, generating €150M+ in revenue across 650+ employees in Europe, India, and the USA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automotive and Industrial Testing Systems

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Test & Measurement Equipment (Oscilloscopes, DAQ, signal analyzers, calibration benches) (IMAGAFAC)

Keywords

• Automotive testing systems
• Powertrain test beds
• Industrial automation software
• Power electronics converters
• Engineering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Graz

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices16 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Testing Equipment Sales: Sale of testing technology products including test benches, rollers, engine test beds, PowerHIL inverter testing systems, fuel cell test beds, battery testing systems, component test beds, and power electronics equipment (frequency converters, power systems). Turnkey solutions from single test bench to complete testing facilities.
2. Software Licenses and Services: Sale and licensing of proprietary software including Tornado Software Suite, Tornado Test Bed automation, Tornado Order Management, and T-SIM MATLAB/Simulink integration tools.
3. Testing Services: In-house testing services at facilities in Graz and Friedrichshafen. Customers deliver test specimens for testing on more than 20 in-house test benches. Services include planning/supervising test procedures, test bench setup, and measurement data evaluation.
4. Maintenance Services: Customer proximity service with fast response times. Remote support from Graz or resident locations in Germany, with service vehicles driving directly to customers to minimize downtime.
5. Building Services Engineering: Building services engineering including electrical installations, HVAC, building automation, and infrastructure for testing facilities and production plants.
6. Media Supply and Conditioning Systems: Media supply systems, conditioning systems, and related infrastructure for testing and production facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

K S Engineers designs, manufactures, and integrates precision testing systems for the automotive, mobility, energy, and industrial sectors, including vehicle/powertrain test beds, engine and battery test beds, fuel cell test systems, and high-performance power electronics (KS-AMPS, KS-R2R Frequency Converter, KS-BATTSIM). The company complements its hardware with the proprietary Tornado automation software suite, in-house testing services from facilities in Graz and Friedrichshafen, building services engineering, and PEM electrolyzer solutions for hydrogen production.

Product overview

K S Engineers provides a comprehensive portfolio of precision testing, energy, and automation solutions for industry and research worldwide. The offering is organized as a platform-plus-modules architecture centered on the KS-R2R testing system family combined with the proprietary Tornado automation software suite. Core hardware products include vehicle/powertrain testbeds (KS-R2R), the Advanced Modular Power System (KS-AMPS), battery simulators (KS-BATTSIM), fuel cell test systems, electric motor test beds, engine test beds, and specialized measurement systems (KS-ACDC Box, KS-LEC OilTracer). Supporting modules include the KS-R2R Frequency Converter for power conversion, KS-DPC pressure control, KS-OMM operating mode manager, KS-FSS functional safety system, and T-SIM for Simulink integration. The Tornado Software Suite (Tornado Test Bed, Tornado Order Management) provides automation and data management across all testing systems. Energy solutions include PEM electrolyzers (KS-H2GEN), media supply/conditioning systems, and building technology services. The company also offers testing services and maintenance services as operational support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KS-AMPS: Advanced Modular Power System - a flexible, highly dynamic power converter system for battery simulation, electric machine emulation, and power converter applications
• KS-ACDC Box
• KS-LEC OilTracer
• KS-R2R Frequenzumrichter
• KS-BATTSIM
• Tornado Software Suite
• PowerHIL
• KS-R2R

Products and services

• KS-R2R Vehicle and Powertrain Testbed
• KS-R2R Frequency Converter
• KS-AMPS (Advanced Modular Power System)
• KS-ACDC Box
• KS-LEC OilTracer
• KS-BATTSIM
• Tornado Software Suite
• Fuel Cell Test Bed
• Fuel Cell Stack Test Beds
• Electric Motor Test Beds
• Engine Test Beds
• Chassis Dynamometers
• Transmission and Powertrain Test Beds
• System Test Beds
• Component Test Beds
• Hot Gas Test Beds
• PowerHIL
• Vehicle Testing R2R (Road-to-Rig)
• KS-H2GEN (PEM Electrolyzers)
• Building Technology
• Media Supply
• Media Conditioning
• Testing Services
• Maintenance Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 years of experience delivering solutions at highest quality level
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Large Engines Competence Center (LEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe KS-LEC OilTracer was developed at the LEC – Large Engines Competence Center, a globally leading research facility for large engine technologies – in close cooperation with KS Engineers. This partnership resulted in an innovative measuring device for live monitoring of oil consumption in combustion engines. The collaboration combines LEC's research expertise in large engine technologies with KS Engineers' testing technology capabilities.
• Educational Institutions (Universities, Colleges of Applied Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKS Engineers has been working closely with universities, colleges of applied sciences and other educational institutions for many years. These collaborations comprise joint development projects where KS contributes focused technological expertise for forward-looking solutions. Another key area is the realization of ultra-modern test facilities and planning of technical infrastructure specifically tailored to requirements of educational institutions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FEV Group: FEV provides powertrain and vehicle development services including its own eDLP, HIL and test-bed technologies, overlapping with KS's engine, transmission and e-mobility test bench offering.
• Kistler Group: Kistler is a precision measurement specialist serving automotive R&D with sensors, dynamometers, torque and combustion analysis tools, overlapping with KS's KS-ACDC Box, KS-R2R frequency converter and engine measurement products.
• AVL List GmbH: AVL is the global market leader in powertrain and vehicle development, with a directly overlapping portfolio of engine, drivetrain and e-mobility test systems, in-house testing services and simulation software. Closest direct competitor to KS Engineers in automotive test beds.
• dSPACE GmbH: dSPACE specializes in simulation and validation tools for automotive ECUs, Power-HIL and virtual testing, closely overlapping with KS's PowerHIL inverter testing, T-SIM real-time Simulink integration and Tornado automation software.
• Horiba: Horiba's Automotive Test Systems division supplies engine, drivetrain and emissions test equipment globally, including chassis dynamometers and powertrain test beds. Competes head-on with KS in ICE and e-mobility testing.

Broad incumbents

• Rohde & Schwarz: Rohde & Schwarz offers T&M instruments and automotive-grade test solutions (e.g., EMC, radar, wireless) used in vehicle development. Adjacent scope but overlaps where KS supplies frequency converters, ACDC measurement and inverter testing.
• National Instruments (NI): NI (now part of Emerson) provides modular test & measurement platforms used across automotive, aerospace and energy test benches. Wider portfolio than KS but supplies DAQ/signal conditioning into similar test-rig architectures.
• ABB: ABB supplies power conversion, drives and e-mobility charging infrastructure that overlap with KS's KS-AMPS/SiC-MOSFET power converter, PEM electrolyzer (KS-H2GEN) and charging infrastructure offerings.
• HBK (Hottinger Brüel & Kjær): HBK is a precision measurement and data-acquisition specialist serving automotive, aerospace and energy test applications, comparable to KS's measurement products (KS-ACDC Box, torque/electrical measurement) but at a broader, cross-industry scale.
• Siemens AG (Digital Industries): Siemens provides industrial automation, PLM and digital-twin tooling that overlaps with KS's Tornado automation, model-based control and building-services scope, especially via Siemens Xcelerator and TIA products sold into automotive plants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ksengineers.at/?locale=de_DE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ks-engineers-p-c

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about K S Engineers